Since hitting the 3D scene in 2012, Sketchfab has made viewing, embedding and ultimately sharing 3D content as easy as sharing a YouTube video – be it on a website, Facebook or as a direct link to a client. As the Virtual Reality market continues to expand, it only makes sense for the company to grow with it, too.

Yesterday, Sketchfab CEO Alban Denoyel announced in a blog post that after months of hard work, the company is releasing a new suite of apps for the next generation of immersive 3D content viewing in VR – aptly named SketchFab VR. The apps, which are currently available for Oculus, HTC Vive, Gear VR, Cardboard and initial WebVR support online, are designed to provide a dedicated Virtual Reality experience for showcasing models and sharing immersive model libraries directly from within an app.

Previously, those who wanted a VR experience with the platform had to go through game engines – but with the new release, all that’s needed is to upload a model directly to Sketchfab and it is VR-ready within seconds:

“This is an important milestone for us,” explains Denoyel. “It is also a big milestone for the Virtual Reality ecosystem. If you look at VR content today, most of it is about games, and most of it is studio made. But the bulk of VR content will be user generated. If you look at user generated content for VR, most of it is 360 videos, but this is not what VR was built for. VR needs a volumetric format, and that’s what Sketchfab content is about: a scene you can walk into and navigate with 6 degrees of freedom.”

With almost 1 million 3D files published on their platform over the past four years, the new update to their system effectively makes Sketchfab the largest library of user generated VR content to date.

Add Denoyel:

“Sketchfab VR does not offer a wild gaming experience where you have to shoot monsters and think about how to survive. It’s much more of a contemplative experience: you are here to explore the world around you. It’s about places, things, objects, people. It’s about discovery. It’s about learning.”

Simon is a Brooklyn-based industrial designer and Managing Editor of EVD Media. When he finds the time to design, his focus is on helping startups develop branding and design solutions to realize their product design vision. In addition to his work at Nike and various other clients, he is the main reason anything gets done at EvD Media. He once wrestled an Alaskan alligator buzzard to the ground with his bare hands… to rescue Josh.